f(x) Crystal (left), Miss A Suzy (upper center), Tiny-G Dohee (lower center) and Teen Top Niel (right). (Talent agencies, facebook)
A series of K-pop artists, including Miss A’s Suzy, Teen Top’s Niel and f(x) ’s Crystal, are anticipating the annual Coming-of-Age Day on May 19.
This year’s Coming-of-Age Day is expected to include more celebrities, as the amended law lowers the coming-of-age by a notch, from 20 to 19. The new civil law took effect from July 1, 2013, and applies to those born between July 1, 1994 and December 31, 1995.
The celebrities who are 20 and coming of age in a week include a number of girl group members, such as Sohyun of 4Minute, Dohee and J Min of Tiny-G, Kaeun of After School, Haeryung of BESTie and Zuny of Lady’s Code.
Girl group members who are 19 and coming of age are Seolhyun of AOA, Youyoung of HELLOVENUS, Kim Nam-joo of Apink and Mirim and Jamie of Tint. Boy group Teen Top member Ricky and Changjo, Superstar K season 5 winner Park Jae-jung and actor Park Ji-bin also fall into this age bracket.
In Korea, Coming-of-Age Day is held on the third Monday of May every year, as a means of encouragement to the youth and a reminder of the social responsibilities upon reaching the age of adulthood.
By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)